Luxury holidays in Riau Islands

A scattered Indonesian archipelago in the South China Sea, the Riau Islands are made up of 2,400 isles — many uninhabitated, and a few, reinvented as private resorts — with sizeable Bintan and Batam as its dominant duo. Typical patrons tend to be peace-seekers drawn to the islands’ away-from-it-all seascapes and jungly interiors. This is desert-island geography that brings the Riau factor.

Areas in the Riau Islands

When to go

The dry season in the Riau Islands runs from March to October, with temperatures peaking in the mid-thirties Celsius from May to July.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Flights touch down at either Singapore’s Changi Airport or Indonesia’s Tanjung Pinang (Raja Haji Fisabilillah International), which has regional connections from Jakarta.

  • Boats

    Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal has sailings to Bintan Island that take around two-and-a-half hours.

  • Automobiles

    The Riau Islands’ smaller outposts tend to be car-free — only stays on Bintan or Batam would justify the need for a set of wheels, and even there, transfers and taxis will likely suffice.